"Caitlin Clark is gonna absolutely cook" - WNBA fans amped as Fever clinch playoff spot despite injury-riddled roster

The Indiana Fever are going to be in the postseason for the second straight season. Despite missing star Caitlin Clark and other players due to injury for most of the year, Indiana still clinched a playoff spot with a win over the Washington Mystics in their second-to-last game of the regular season on Sunday.

The Mystics, who are out of playoff contention, gave the Clark-less Fever a tough fight. They started the game strong with great intensity, but slowly faded away as the game progressed.

The Fever's Instagram account shared an image featuring their entire roster to announce the good news. The fans online swarmed the comment section with their opinions.

"Caitlin is gonna absolutely cook in the playoffs. i can’t wait 🔥" one fan said.

"Imagine if this team was fully healthy, easy finals run this year," another fan said.

"Yessirrrrr!! After all the adversity this team faced they still made the playoffs!!! Let’s gooo!!" another fan said.

One fan complimented Indiana for its resilience and determination to fight despite facing multiple season-ending injuries to key players.

"They may be battered and bruised…but, they’re not defeated," the fan commented.

"been through so much deserved," another fan said.

"Half of the players in this picture are injured. And they still got it done !!" another fan said.

Fans congratulate Indiana for clinching playoff spot. (Credits: @indianafever/IG)

Natasha Howard was the top scorer for Indiana on Sunday. She netted 17 points, collected four rebounds and dished out one assist to help her team secure a 94-65 blowout win.

Caitlin Clark will not suit up for the Indiana Fever in the playoffs

One of the biggest question marks for the Indiana Fever this season was the return of Caitlin Clark. The team's star guard has not played in a game since July 15 due to a groin injury, and every week, fans were growing eager to hear about the guard's return.

There was hope that Clark would return to the court later in the season. However, weeks passed, and she still remained on the sidelines.

On Friday, Clark put an end to the speculation as she posted monochrome pictures of herself on her Instagram account and announced that she won't be returning this season.

"I had hoped to share a better update, but I will not be returning to play this season," Clark wrote in the caption. "I spent hours in the gym every day with the singular goal of getting back out there, disappointed isn’t a big enough word to describe how I am feeling. I want to thank everyone who had my back through all the uncertainty."

"This has been incredibly frustrating, but even in the bad, there is good. The way the fans continued to show up for me, and for the Fever, brought me so much joy and important perspective. I am so proud of how this team has only gotten stronger through adversity this year. Now it’s time to close out the season and claim our spot in the Playoffs."

Caitlin Clark makes an injury announcement on her IG. (Credits: @caitlinclark22/IG)

The community received the announcement well, as they swarmed the Fever guard's post with positive comments. Even Lakers superstar LeBron James left a heartwarming message for Clark on her post.

About the author

Avi Shravan's first year of college was the year he discovered his passion for basketball and the NBA. He has been an ardent fan of the sport ever since, from waking up early to cover games to watching pundit discussions, he does it all.

Avi is a big fan of Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks and Anthony Edwards from the Minnesota Timberwolves and firmly believes that the young star is the next big thing in the NBA.

Avi graduated in Mass Communication and Journalism, further enhancing his skills as a journalist and a writer. In his spare time when he is not writing, you can find him playing video games, watching anime, or reading a book he randomly picked at a bookstore.

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Edited by Brad Taningco